Parking tips for Yuma County Fair at Yuma County Fairgrounds (Yuma 03/31)

hey everyone, the yuma county fair is coming up from 03/31 to 04/05 and if you are planning to go, you definitely want to think about your parking situation before you head out. 32nd street and the whole area around the fairgrounds gets pretty backed up especially as the sun goes down and the crowds start to pour in.

honestly your best bet is to check out Prked first. it is an app where you can rent driveways and private garage spots right next to the yuma county fairgrounds. it is usually way cheaper than some of the random paid lots that pop up and you basically get to skip the long traffic lines inside the main fairgrounds entrance. plus you get a much shorter walk to the gate and you do not have to worry about getting stuck for an hour just trying to exit the huge gravel lot at the end of the night.

if you decide to use the official fairgrounds parking, the good news is that they usually have about twenty acres of free parking available. there are two main ways to get in. the most common entrance is on 32nd street but there is also a west entrance off pacific avenue. if you are driving a bigger truck or an rv, the pacific avenue entrance is way easier to navigate and much less stressful. that is also where you will find the most handicap parking, usually concentrated near the main theater building. just be prepared for a lot of dust because the parking areas are mostly grass and smooth dirt.

the timing is really what matters here. for the opening on 03/31, gates do not even open until 3-00 pm, so you can expect a massive surge of cars right around that time and again around 5-00 pm when everyone gets off work. on 04/01 they have the demolition derby at 7-00 pm which always makes wednesday night extra crazy for parking. for the rest of the week from 04/02 through 04/05, gates usually open at noon. if you can get there early in the afternoon you will have zero issues finding a spot close to the gate. but if you show up on friday or saturday night, expect to be directed way back into the overflow areas.

one big tip is to avoid parking at any of the nearby shopping centers or fast food places like target. they are super strict during fair week and will absolutely tow your car. if you do not want to drive at all, check the ycat schedule because they usually run a fair shuttle from different parts of town. also, keep in mind the police usually change the traffic patterns on 32nd street during peak hours, so you might not be able to make certain left turns. if you see signs for desert sun stadium, that is sometimes used for extra overflow but it is a pretty long walk to the fair gates. hope this helps you guys have a better time without the parking headache.